1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a fender bracket of a motor vehicle. The invention applies more particularly to an area of the fender bracket for attaching the bonnet hinge.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, the bonnet hinge is attached by fastening means to a structural element of the vehicle such as the chassis or the side sills. In the prior art, when a fender bracket is used, it is generally attached to the vehicle structure independently of the bonnet hinge. This assembly method is relatively difficult due in particular to the operations involved in blocking the body parts which require the use of jigs. In addition, the geometric complexity of the bodywork requires successive steps to adjust clearances and align the bonnet, fenders, and vehicle structure.
To address these difficulties, patent FR 2 917 769 proposes a fender bracket which is attached to the vehicle bonnet hinge which is itself attached to a structural element of the vehicle. This improves the positioning of the bodywork parts and their attachment operations, but does not provide a satisfactory solution for adjustment of the clearances between the bonnet and the fender. The bonnet hinge is in fact attached relative to the vehicle structure, also known as the frame, while the upper part of the fender, whose edge must be flush with the edge of the bonnet, is attached to the fender bracket. Due to these differences of attachment points, numerous adjustments and indexing steps are required in order to ensure correct positioning of the bodywork parts relative to each other.